About Us

Tiny Lansdowne is one of the quietest hill station in India. So quiet and so hidden that you know you've reached only when you actually turn past the gates of the elegant Garhwal Rifles Centre. And the town is as picturesque as you were led to hope for by the drive up the road from Kotdwar- past a mountain stream (the 'lost River Khoh) so clear you can see the pebbles on its bed from your car window - far up the mountainside.
Man behind the Fairy Magic

Our Team:

1 ) Late Dr A L Shah and Mrs Kamla- The inspiration behind Fairydale
2) Pankaj Shah:
3) Ashok
4) Dr Sanjay
5) Prashansa

42 year hold Mr. Pankaj Shah is 'a hill boy' to the core. He did his schooling from Nainital and Lucknow, traveled to Africa where his doctor father worked with WHO. A graduate from XLRI Jamshedpur, Shah worked with several corporate houses. During this stint he brought groups from the companies to Uttranchal to make them experience the active life in the Himalayas through trekking, camping and rafting.
    

Once he savored the hills again the call of the mountains brought him back to nature and he quit corporate life to devote himself fully to eco-tourism. And that was not really difficult for him as his family owned acres of hilly terrain around Lansdowne, which were not being utilized. Fairydale Resort that is set amidst fairy like surrounding was built in 1912.Shah quotes “It was my love for hills that brought me back here . I saw a future in eco-tourism and wanted to be a part of its growth in Uttarakhand.

By then corporates had begun to go on rejuvenation camps, and he began to organize such adventure camps for them. Talking about how he managed to restore Fairydale- Shah says, " it was truly a difficult task. I spent a large sum doing the landscape and planting exotic plants that flourish in this climate. He even grows Cycas trees at 6000ft.

While he may have spent huge sum of money on renovation it has been worth it. Word-of -mouth publicity spells business for him. Fairydale is fully booked during summer holidays, Durga Puja, Dussehra & Diwali,New Years etc. Good weekend business follows though out the year as its close proximity with the National Capital.

Shahs' other interest includes his management consultancy catering to a couple of Multinationals, Pvt. sector and to the Government. Shah stays in Dehradun but travels through the week to Fairydale and Salpine Jungle Camp to keep in touch with his main loves, the hills and the jungles. He has imbibed love for adventure in his twelve year old son and nine year old daughter, who accompany him on his jungle trips and are already familiar with the flora and fauna of Uttranchal.